So where are all the people that were wanting to blow the team up two weeks ago? The people that said we were done and Hitch needed to go and we needed to trade everyone?

The last two games, the Blues look like themselves. And what I mean by that is they look like the team that put up 109 points last year. I said the exact same thing in the last GDT after they beat the Coyotes. But it holds true here, as well. They still are having too many turnovers in their own end that lead to quality chances, and in the case of last night's game, Anaheim's only goal. Nevertheless, there's a confidence that had seemed shaken during the rough stretch a few weeks back.

They're going to hit some more rough spots, that's just the nature of the sport. But they're still fighting and with half the season to go, they look like the team we all thought we were going to see when they started 6-1-0.

Bottom line is, no one expected this.

No one expected an unproven rookie to walk in and stand on his head.

No one expected a flake to suddenly play like the skilled forward he really is.

What we expected was a goaltending tandem that had been broken, a group of our best players out on injury and not having a return date on when any of them returning, consistent sloppy play and the losses to go with it.

At this point, the Captain of the team should be Jake Allen. He has brought confidence back to the Bluenote.

Everyone, including myself, felt we needed to get a veteran presence. And if things had continued as they were, and there were no indication that things would get better at that point, we'd still be losing, still be playing sloppy and still having major issues.

We make a goalie change and things suddenly turn around. We put out Halak and they ADMIT to leaving him out to dry.

Confidence is another word for trust. This team doesn't trust Halak and Elliott anymore, for whatever reason. Their time in the STL might be done.

So where are all the people that were wanting to blow the team up two weeks ago? The people that said we were done and Hitch needed to go and we needed to trade everyone?

The last two games, the Blues look like themselves. And what I mean by that is they look like the team that put up 109 points last year. I said the exact same thing in the last GDT after they beat the Coyotes. But it holds true here, as well. They still are having too many turnovers in their own end that lead to quality chances, and in the case of last night's game, Anaheim's only goal. Nevertheless, there's a confidence that had seemed shaken during the rough stretch a few weeks back.

They're going to hit some more rough spots, that's just the nature of the sport. But they're still fighting and with half the season to go, they look like the team we all thought we were going to see when they started 6-1-0.

Bottom line is, no one expected this.

No one expected an unproven rookie to walk in and stand on his head.

No one expected a flake to suddenly play like the skilled forward he really is.

What we expected was a goaltending tandem that had been broken, a group of our best players out on injury and not having a return date on when any of them returning, consistent sloppy play and the losses to go with it.

At this point, the Captain of the team should be Jake Allen. He has brought confidence back to the Bluenote.

Everyone, including myself, felt we needed to get a veteran presence. And if things had continued as they were, and there were no indication that things would get better at that point, we'd still be losing, still be playing sloppy and still having major issues.

We make a goalie change and things suddenly turn around. We put out Halak and they ADMIT to leaving him out to dry.

Confidence is another word for trust. This team doesn't trust Halak and Elliott anymore, for whatever reason. Their time in the STL might be done.

So where are all the people that were wanting to blow the team up two weeks ago? The people that said we were done and Hitch needed to go and we needed to trade everyone?

The last two games, the Blues look like themselves. And what I mean by that is they look like the team that put up 109 points last year. I said the exact same thing in the last GDT after they beat the Coyotes. But it holds true here, as well. They still are having too many turnovers in their own end that lead to quality chances, and in the case of last night's game, Anaheim's only goal. Nevertheless, there's a confidence that had seemed shaken during the rough stretch a few weeks back.

They're going to hit some more rough spots, that's just the nature of the sport. But they're still fighting and with half the season to go, they look like the team we all thought we were going to see when they started 6-1-0.

Bottom line is, no one expected this.

No one expected an unproven rookie to walk in and stand on his head.

No one expected a flake to suddenly play like the skilled forward he really is.

What we expected was a goaltending tandem that had been broken, a group of our best players out on injury and not having a return date on when any of them returning, consistent sloppy play and the losses to go with it.

At this point, the Captain of the team should be Jake Allen. He has brought confidence back to the Bluenote.

Everyone, including myself, felt we needed to get a veteran presence. And if things had continued as they were, and there were no indication that things would get better at that point, we'd still be losing, still be playing sloppy and still having major issues.

We make a goalie change and things suddenly turn around. We put out Halak and they ADMIT to leaving him out to dry.

Confidence is another word for trust. This team doesn't trust Halak and Elliott anymore, for whatever reason. Their time in the STL might be done.

I feel that's another knee-jerk reaction. Elliott maybe but not Halak.

It should be obvious beyond the need for clarification that goalies eb and flow, get hot and turn off. Allen is young, unproven, and riding a hot streak, which history with young goalies has shown us will probably come to an end. Halak is our #1, we're paying him like he's our number one, and all told, all things considered, his overall performance has been that of a number 1. Elliott was simply an astounding shock last year that even his most ardent optimists weren't expecting. Now, it's more like "he is who we thought he was." He was a low risk, low cost, potentially high reward signing that paid dividends. We can easily part with him if we think his confidence is shot and his time in the Note is over. Halak not so much.

So where are all the people that were wanting to blow the team up two weeks ago? The people that said we were done and Hitch needed to go and we needed to trade everyone?

The last two games, the Blues look like themselves. And what I mean by that is they look like the team that put up 109 points last year. I said the exact same thing in the last GDT after they beat the Coyotes. But it holds true here, as well. They still are having too many turnovers in their own end that lead to quality chances, and in the case of last night's game, Anaheim's only goal. Nevertheless, there's a confidence that had seemed shaken during the rough stretch a few weeks back.

They're going to hit some more rough spots, that's just the nature of the sport. But they're still fighting and with half the season to go, they look like the team we all thought we were going to see when they started 6-1-0.

Bottom line is, no one expected this.

No one expected an unproven rookie to walk in and stand on his head.

No one expected a flake to suddenly play like the skilled forward he really is.

What we expected was a goaltending tandem that had been broken, a group of our best players out on injury and not having a return date on when any of them returning, consistent sloppy play and the losses to go with it.

At this point, the Captain of the team should be Jake Allen. He has brought confidence back to the Bluenote.

Everyone, including myself, felt we needed to get a veteran presence. And if things had continued as they were, and there were no indication that things would get better at that point, we'd still be losing, still be playing sloppy and still having major issues.

We make a goalie change and things suddenly turn around. We put out Halak and they ADMIT to leaving him out to dry.

Confidence is another word for trust. This team doesn't trust Halak and Elliott anymore, for whatever reason. Their time in the STL might be done.

I feel that's another knee-jerk reaction. Elliott maybe but not Halak.

It should be obvious beyond the need for clarification that goalies eb and flow, get hot and turn off. Allen is young, unproven, and riding a hot streak, which history with young goalies has shown us will probably come to an end. Halak is our #1, we're paying him like he's our number one, and all told, all things considered, his overall performance has been that of a number 1. Elliott was simply an astounding shock last year that even his most ardent optimists weren't expecting. Now, it's more like "he is who we thought he was." He was a low risk, low cost, potentially high reward signing that paid dividends. We can easily part with him if we think his confidence is shot and his time in the Note is over. Halak not so much.

Here's why I disagree: At what point has Halak been our #1 between the pipes?

The truth is we don't have a real starting goaltender. From what we've seen of Halak; last year he had to get bailed out by a surging Brian Elliott and cut the games played in half. If we had to run with Halak alone and say, a straight-up backup, would we have made the playoffs at all? Yes, he has a winning record last year, but that's a reflection of what, 30 games? 40? Half a season. If he had to play a full season or 3/4 of one alone, would the results have been the same? Would Halak have tanked? We won't ever know that because they both helped each others stats.

This year's the same thing; Halak does own a winning record, but Allen is doing this year what Elliott did last year. That to me doesn't speak well of a guy, Halak, who is supposed to be our starter. Plus, he's gotten injured at inopportune times (the playoffs where a sync'd tandem might have sank the Kings ship, and recently). 1A and 1B works better to describe Halak.

Halak is many things but he's not a #1. That's why I say what I do and, like everything else I say, it's simply my opinion.

I agree with Oakland. Halak has faltered when asked to be the exclusive #1. He gets injured at inopportune times because maybe he's not conditioning himself properly and he's twice now lost grip on what should have been an obvious #1 role. First he couldn't play the majority of the season because Elliott was doing as good or better on a regular basis and now he can't play the majority of the season because Allen is doing better on a regular basis.

The difference is no one expected Elliott to become the #1, but rather continue being 1B to Halak's 1A. I think everyone anticipated Allen becoming the #1 eventually, just not this soon. Halak may be paid like a #1 but he's the #2 in reality and that's it. As soon as his contract runs up he won't be re-signed.

I'm all for Allen playing over Halak, at least if he plays as he currently is. And, I'm in favor of him being the long term solution here instead of Halak. But, I'm surprised at everybody's overall view of Halak.

He obviously wasn't ever going to be the goalie that led Montreal to the ECF because that was an absurd, unsustainable hot streak. But, overall I think he's done a good job here. Last year he was outstanding, and I don't discredit him for losing some playing time to Elliott. I think that's more of a credit to Elliott's good play than a sign of Halak's lack of ability to lock down the number one role.

Who is online

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum